


Wear It Like A Badge

by mychakk



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: F/M, Ficlet, Soulmate AU, Tumblr Prompt, soulmark, soulmate, soulmate mark, touches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-11
Updated: 2017-10-11
Packaged: 2019-01-16 01:19:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12332601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mychakk/pseuds/mychakk
Summary: Surely she must have touched him at least once before this, right? Set in season 3.Based on Tumblr post byacorn-lover: Soulmate au where you are not born with a mark but it only appears when your soulmate touches your skin for the first time and in the exact place where they touched you.





	Wear It Like A Badge

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MizJoely](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MizJoely/gifts), [likingthistoomuch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/likingthistoomuch/gifts), [sherlollymouse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sherlollymouse/gifts), [rottenbrainstuff (queencockroach)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/queencockroach/gifts), [acorn-lover](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=acorn-lover).



> The idea went that the very first time Molly touched Sherlock, it was when she slapped him. So yeah. Also it was stipulated that there need to be an unconditional, pure, conscious love directed at your soulmate for the mark to finally appear. You know, a without any vested interest nor to earn favours kind of touch.
> 
> There was a beautiful fanart, too, in this threat made by **rottenbrainstuff**. Inspired by the whole thread, I wrote this little ficlet. (and smoothed it to be posted here).
> 
> Dedicated to **MizJoely** for she gave me a slight nudge to post it here (anything to help her with maintaining her magnificent sherlollilists ;) ). Also **to everyone** who participated in the thread. It can be find here:  
>  https://mychakk.tumblr.com/post/166192585959/mychakk-mizjoely-likingthistoomuch

 

“Did I touch you in an inconspicuous place?”

Molly jumped as out of a sudden a familiar baritone resounded from behind her, disrupting the peaceful silence of the path lab at St. Bart’s Hospital.

“Wha-?” she turned around quickly from her lab work to face the usual invader of her working place. She opened her mouth to say _hello_ , but her voice got lost abruptly somewhere in the middle of her throat at the sight before her eyes.

“Well?” an indignant looking - and this time clean-shaved - Sherlock Holmes asked her, his whole being executing an impatient expectancy. Not that she paid him any attention. For you see, her whole focus was centred on the mark on the Detective’s face. A _soulmark_. One that looked a lot like a _handprint_.

A _familiar_ handprint.

 _Her_ handprint. One clearly made by her very own hand.

She stared at it stupefied, as her mind flashed back to yesterday when she had slapped the detective after he had been brought up to this very place for drug testing. Suddenly, her heartbeat accelerated getting louder and louder, her breath shortened while ears started ringing.

No. _No_. This couldn’t be. It just couldn’t. She _couldn’t_ be his soulmate. Surely she must have touched him skin on skin in the past on any of the other occasions. She _must have_. But all the other occasions she could think of at the moment had happened when she had patched him up, and she always, _always_ wears gloves during those.

But- but then-

“Um, well, if I… If I didn’t left a mark on you then i-it’s fine.” Sherlock’s sudden and unexpected stammer brought Molly back to her senses. He was looking at anything but her

“What?” Molly shook her head trying to get her vertigo back.

“I understand.” Sherlock continued. “Why would you have _me_ as your soulmate, right?” he smiled tightly. “Of course I didn’t touch you on any inconspicuous place. And you don’t show any mark on any visible skin, so there is no mark from me.” His words started coming at his deduction speed as he nodded to himself. “But I _did_ touch you, I _know_ I did.” He trailed of with a slight frown. “Which means… Of _course_. Silly me.” He straightened abruptly. Stiffly. The impenetrable mask falling onto his face. “We can forget this.” He gave her a tight, officious nod. “I’m sure I’ll find a way to conceal it so it doesn’t bo-”

Molly didn’t allow him to finish as she rushed past him, bumping into him with her shoulder. As quickly as she could she pulled the disinfectant hankies from the box and started scrubbing at her right cheek.

“Molly…?” Sherlock asked uncertainly, watching her with an oddly endearingly vulnerable look on his face.

She turned around and looked straight into his eyes, her hand still scrubbing at her cheek. “You _did_ leave a mark and you _did_ leave it in a visible place.” She took away her hand revealing her right cheek. Sherlock’s eyes immediately zeroed on it, widening slightly. Wondrously. “I-it appeared the night after our solving cases together.” Molly explained. “Shortly after your return from your death.” She looked away with a sad smile. “Eventually, it was the reason why Tom and I broke up.”

This brought Sherlock’s eyes back to hers from their staring at her right cheek.

“But if it appeared back then, why did you still stay with him?” Sherlock asked puzzled, his eyes searching hers.

Molly gave him a one-shoulder kind of shrug. “Because while it was _no_ surprise you turned out to be my soulmate, I never even dreamed I could be _yours_.” She replied simply.

“Silly woman.” Sherlock shook his head as a smile bloomed on his face. Then he closed the distance between them. “Of _course_ you are my soulmate. Who _else_ could it be?” He lifted his left hand and touched reverently the mark on her face. “I knew it even _before_ the mark appeared.”

“Oh.” was all Molly could say, her heartbeat going overdrive as she stared up at this beautiful man in front of her.

Sherlock smirked, looking back. “You know, they appear only in certain circumstances, right? Apparently it has to be because of a first touch marred with no other intention than simple love and care for the one who you’re being worth of.” His smile turned loving as his hand grazed her cheek once more. “I just never believed I could be yours, you deserve so much better than me….”

“Now who’s being silly?” Molly shot back with a smile. “You’ve always, _always_ deserved my love. And you have always had it.”

“Thank you.” He said shyly and his cheeks pinked slightly. Adorably. Not that Molly will tell him that. 

“I’m happy I can finally tell it to you too." Sherlock continued looking at her with adoring eyes. "That is, that you do have my love, too.” He smiled sheepishly then his smile turned wistful. “I thought I lost my chance when I got back. Being away brought into focus who matters the most to me.” His eyes grazed her cheek once more then returned to hers. “But then I found you were engaged.”

“I’m sorry,” She smiled apologetically. “I am. I just never thought this could happen.” She raised her hand to his cheek and ran the very tips of her fingers over it.

“It’s ok.” Sherlock smiled at her. “Now everyone can be informed we are meant to be.  That we have _always_ been.” And with that pronouncement, he bent his head to kiss the mark on her cheek. Just as sweetly as he had done it the day it appeared on her face.

__

Then, out of a sudden, he straightened up looking down at her apprehensively. “Um, you don’t plan to reciprocate by _recreating_ the same circumstances that lead to me receiving my mark, right?” He asked, looking at her worriedly.

__

Molly blinked then laughed. And laughed “No, you sod, I’m not going to slap you.” She paused, giving him an intense look. “Unless you _want_ me to.” She smiled slyly at him.

__

Sherlock _buffered_.

__

Molly just laughed more. “But that mark of yours will bring some very curious questions.” She added and raised her hand to touch it lightly.

__

Sherlock leaned into her hand for a moment, then he shook his head. “Not really. I don’t think so. Especially to those who actually know me.” His face brightened. “But we can tell our children that I, as a small boy, tried to steal a kiss from you and you slapped me for it.” He grinned at her.

__

Molly decided to ignore the children comment for a moment (although her heart _soared_ ; was this really happening?) and shot back. “That will never work.”

__

“Why not?” Sherlock bristled.

__

“There are pictures of you as an adult without the soulmark.” She gave him an exasperated look.

__

Sherlock frowned briefly as his shoulder sagged, then brightened. “We’ll tell them I was concealing it like you just showed me.” He dismissed her argument with a smile and a wave of his hand.

__

“We are _not_ lying to our children.” Molly shot back with her arms akimbo.

__

Sherlock just smirked at her. “I am glad you accepted the idea of us having children so easily. We should start working on them as soon as possible.”

__

Molly just shook her head, but couldn’t stop the smile stealing into her face. “You are incorrigible.”

__

“Yet you love me.” He smiled at her smugly.

__

“Lord help me, but I do.” Molly shook her head in mock dismay.

__

“I love you, too.” Sherlock told her seriously, then pulled her to him and placed another kiss on her cheek, following by another squarely on her lips.

__

And all Molly could do was reciprocate.

__

 

__

**Author's Note:**

> All reviews are greatly appreciated. :)


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